DMi expands Escient Zone

DMi D&M Installation Europe is expanding the capabilities of its Escient Zone home control system with additions to the range debuted at ISE 2010.

New Zone products launched at ISE include a new video media player, adding video streaming to Zone, an AV I/O extender and a range of DIN Rail lighting modules.

Escient Zone is an integrated CI home control system, said to be ‘at a lower price point than current market leading systems’. The system complements the latest Ethernet and WiFi network enabled AV source and control components from Denon, Marantz and Escient brands, and enables DMi appointed CI professionals to offer in-home automation systems incorporating components from these D&M brands.

The new Zone MP400 enables distribution of video from a central hard drive throughout the home and can handle a wide range of video formats, up to HD, with high quality playback and upscaling of SD signals. Supported video codecs include MPEG-2, MPEG4, H.264, DivX, and WMV. AV connectivity includes HDMI, component and S-video, analogue and S/PDIF digital audio, along with two USB 2.0 ports.

The player uniquely introduces IT based capabilities to CE and CI at its €600 (ex-vat) SRP, integrating fully and simply the ability to play almost any video content from NAS storage to the Zone system, with 10/100 Ethernet network connectivity and IP control. The Zone user interface provides intuitive media management from touch panels or remote handsets from any room in the home.

The rack-mountable Zone IO Extender provides additional inputs and outputs for AV components and can be used to extend control in large CI systems when paired with a Zone Home Controller.

The new range of Zone DIN Rail lighting modules enables the wired control of leading edge and trailing edge dimmers and ballast, in conjunction with relay switching, and a multifunctional I/O extender. These provide steering and integration of motion sensors.

The 12 available modules include a network processor, four-channel and eight-channel leading edge dimmers, a four-channel trailing edge dimmer, ballast controller, eight-channel I/O extender, four-channel relay module, power supply and RS232 interface. Five and 10 button keypads come with a selection of chrome, brass, white, and stainless steel faceplates.

Installers can programme Zone DIN Rail products and systems via the Escient Zone control software, providing the customer with the required preset controls and lighting scenes.